MIAO MIAO

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Dir: Cheng Hsiao-Tse, Hong Kong/Taiwan, 2008, 35mm, 83min
Mandarin and Japanese with English subtitles
Genre: Drama, Foreign Language, Romance
Identity: Lesbian

Teenaged Miao Miao is a shy exchange student from Japan struggling with her new life in Taipei. In need of a friend, she’s relieved when she hooks up with the extroverted and charismatic Ai. Growing in confidence Miao Miao finds herself with a teen sized crush on sullen CD shop owner Chen Fei, who appears to have deep-seated problems of his own, and keeps Miao Miao at arm’s length. The situation becomes complicated when it becomes clear that while she has been helping Miao Miao get close to Chen Fei, Ai has fallen in love with Miao Miao. Inevitably the tension between the trio builds, and Chen Fei begins to open up about his traumatic past, and his own romantic feelings.  Aided by excellent performances from its leads, Miao Miao is a breath of fresh air in its depiction of youthful first love, friendship and with the grappling with burgeoning sexual identity. (LD) 

Australian premiere